


The Perfect Flavor

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Cake tasting, M/M, Marriage Barisi Bingo, bingo prompt, so many cakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24241648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: Sonny and Rafael and nine mini-cakes.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 62
Collections: Marriage Barisi Bingo





	The Perfect Flavor

Rafael surveys the kitchen island, then gives Sonny a wry look. "You sure we have enough options?"

Sonny rolls his eyes and wipes his hands on his apron. "Look, you said you wanted something interesting. I got imaginative."

Rafael smiles as he sits at the island and looks over the collection of mini-cakes again. "There is no way we can eat all of these."

"Don't worry. I told the squad we were doing this tonight, so they're ready to take on the leftovers tomorrow."

Rafael chuckles and takes a moment to appreciate Sonny's flour-dusted hands and mussed hair. He's in his element in the kitchen, whether he's making them a quick dinner or deciding the best way to choose a wedding cake flavor is to bake them nine-- _nine_ \--varieties on his day off. "Okay, where do we start?"

Sonny reaches into the fridge and pulls out a bottle of champagne, then opens the freezer and pulls out two frosty champagne flutes. "A toast."

"You are ridiculous."

Sonny flashes him a grin as he undoes the foil around the mouth of the bottle. "You love it."

"Every single day," Rafael agrees. He jumps when Sonny pops the cork and appreciates the lines of his body as he pours them each a glass. "There's a parallel universe where you're a chef, and I've spent a lot of lunches with Rita lusting after you."

Sonny laughs and slides Rafael his glass. He holds up his own. "To this universe, then. Where you still get to enjoy everything I cook, and then we get to kiss after."

Rafael taps their flutes together. "To our marriage," he says, and watching the way Sonny softens at the word makes him blink away tears. "I can't wait."

"Me, either," Sonny replies. 

They both take a ship of champagne, then Sonny slides over a cake with bright yellow frosting. "All the frosting's buttercream. I just dyed the batches different colors to help me remember which cake was which."

Rafael shakes his head but doesn't say anything about Sonny thinking only having one type of frosting was some sort of shortcut. Instead, he picks up his fork and--at Sonny's nod--cuts into the mini cake. 

"It's lemon-vanilla," Sonny says as he cuts off his own bite. "The magenta one over there is lemon-raspberry."

Rafael eats his bite and hums at how good it is. The lemon is bright and sharp, the vanilla rich and deep. Rafael takes a sip of champagne and isn't surprised that it folds into the other flavors beautifully. 

The mini cake with the blue frosting is blueberry cinnamon. The black-frosted cake is red velvet. 

"This is the best red velvet cake I've ever had, and the answer is still no."

Sonny laughs and leans over to wipe a bit of frosting from the corner of Rafael's mouth. "You can only see dead armadillo butt, even when I make it?"

"Steel Magnolias is a film that haunts you. I do like the idea of a black-frosted cake, though."

The white-frosted cake is coconut-black pepper. The pink-frosted cake is raspberry. 

"I like it, but we were also talking about a macaron tower, and I'd rather have raspberry macarons."

"Oh, that's a good point," Sonny replies. "I skipped putting lime in anything for the same reason."

"We need a sweeter flavor to balance those two, then."

Sonny thinks for a moment as he pours them both more champagne. "Maybe something with a little spice? There are a few bakeries that do savory macarons."

"Let's put it on the list," Rafael says and falls even more in love when Sonny turns to write a note on the current version of the wedding planning list they're keeping on the fridge. 

They have the lemon-raspberry. The orange-frosted cake is peach-ginger. 

"Top three," Rafael says, taking another bite. 

Sonny beams. "I was hoping. I'm really proud of it."

Rafael takes a third bite before Sonny takes the rest of the cake away. "Put it in the fridge. That one doesn't go to the squad."

Sonny chuckles and does as he told. 

The dark blue-frosted cake is classic chocolate. The light blue-frosted cake is pink champagne. The final cake is frosted in purple, and it's plain yellow cake. 

Rafael pauses, fork halfway out of his mouth, and stares hard at what's still on the plate. He's suddenly hit with memories of every family wedding he ever went to. Sneaking an extra slice of cake when his parents weren't looking. _Abuelita_ allowing him a tiny sip of champagne while everyone enjoyed the first dance. Taking home thick slices of cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap on brightly colored paper plates.

"I know it's a bit cliche, but everyone had it at weddings when I was growing up," Sonny says. He takes a second bite and closes his eyes. Rafael watches the happiness that rolls across his face and thinks that's exactly how he feels on the inside. 

"I was thinking the same thing," Rafael says and finishes off his champagne. He watches Sonny refill them both and looks at all the little cakes with a few bites taken out of them. "There's something to be said for a classic," he says and gives Sonny a warm look. 

Sonny smiles in return. "We could have the most ridiculous macaron tower in all five boroughs. The cake can stay easy."

"It feels right," Rafael says. 

Sonny leans across the island and meets Rafael for a kiss. "That's all I want for us," he says. 

Rafael hooks two fingers into Sonny's apron before he can step back. "Me, too," he says and kisses him again.


End file.
